I have just read Derek Wenmoths blog about enough excuses for why teachers are digitally illiterate. I agree that there are still some digitally illiterate teachers out there, but I think the ICTPD contracts have done a lot to change that. I totally agree with Paul Wilkinsons comment though about the lack of equipment in some schools. There are huge discrepancies between those schools who have IT equipment and those who do not. Does the government fund any IT equipment for students at all? If they really want to “Enable our 21st Century Learners” they must address this issue. This issue was brought home to me when I enrolled my 8 year old in a new school as we are shifting towns. She is leaving a very technologically capable school, where she is used to using smart boards, laptops etc on a daily basis and going to a school with not a single student laptop, one computer per classroom and one data projector for the school. She is understandably devastated by this. There isn’t much equality of opportunity across the country for our students when you see this.
I found a really good article today by Monica Glewa and Margret Bogan(2007) on improving childrens literacy while promoting digital fluency. They talked about the steps needed in the growth towards literacy, with specific reference to developing digital fluency. Basically digital fluency isn’t just going to happen, but needs to be taught to students, just as we would any other literacy. I think this is a really valid point and maybe one that is overlooked a bit when deciding to introduce the likes of a classroom blog. Glewa and Bogan maintain that schools play a critical role in developing children’s digital literacy development and that we need to offer students opportunities to practice digital fluency within our classrooms. The students in this class explored the basics of writing in sentences and paragraphs and writing for an audience through setting up a class blog on Surviving a Hurricane. As these children had all experienced a hurricane firsthand, the context was really powerful and the students felt they had contributed useful knowledge to the wider community. Their comments also reflected the need to write well for an audience “I don’t want to do a blog unless it is good”. In implementing any new technology, it is important to think about the skills students need to use it effectively. I believe this is a timely reminder about how using technology can enhance our existing programmes and be a strong motivator for success and quality work.
Thanks Jill for checking out my blog. I have figured out how to put the entries in properly now! I would love any research you can find on the value of Web 2.0 tools, blogs or how we can use them to enhance home/school partnerships. I enjoyed talking to you today.
My next step is to discuss this with the school I would like to use and the teacher or teachers who are using classroom blogs, in order to seek permission for me to use them in my research. The proposal at this stage is exploratory.
I have set this blog up as part of my research project for 2008. I want to investigate how using a classroom blog can enhance home/school partnerships. I intend to use this blog as a reflective journal for my project.
